The track record of independent Rajya Sabha member of Parliament (MP) Ajit Bhuyan, a veteran journalist, former editor and human rights activist, shows that he has never shied from challenging anyone in power if he thought it was necessary.
However, on January 29, when Bhuyan used social media to accuse Himanta Biswa Sarma, the chief minister of Assam and a powerful Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader, not only of misusing government funds in the organisation of cultural events, but also of financial irregularities in the collection of funds for Sarma’s family-owned Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs), he found himself in a controversy that has yet to die down.
Sarma and his party are now accusing Bhuyan of embezzling from Member of Parliament Local Area Development Scheme (MPLADS) funds meant for the construction of three roads in Assam’s South Kamrup. Bhuyan claims this is their retaliation against him for asking Sarma uncomfortable questions.
But the Rajya Sabha MP refuses to back down. After all, he has spent the last 30 years of his life questioning governments and political parties. As the editor of leading Assamese news dailies and weeklies during the violence of the Bodo and United Liberation Front of Asom insurgency, he made himself the bête noire of the Congress party and the regional Asom Gana Parishad (AGP), the two parties that ruled Assam at that time, by revealing bitter truths about their regimes, including alleged corruption, human rights violations, extortions, secret killings and the nexus between insurgent groups and government ministers as well as that between tea companies and insurgent groups.
In the mid-1990s, Bhuyan became a household name when he reported on the infamous Letter of Credit scam which involved millions of dollars. His reports highlighted the alleged involvement of the Congress and the AGP governments in the scam and he was charged under laws such as the National Security Act and the infamous Terrorist and Disruptive Activities (Prevention) Act among others. He was jailed multiple times and claims he was tortured during his time in jail.
The Wire spoke to Bhuyan about his confrontation with Sarma, the political situation in India ahead of the 2024 general elections and the future of Indian democracy.
You have accused Sarma and his family of using funds from departments like health, tourism, public works, electricity, etc, for cultural events and to collect funds for their family-owned NGOs. You have also accused Sarma of using Muslims as leverage for his personal gain, such as asking a Muslim government official to bring ‘Muslim black magic practitioners’ to work for him. Did you expect Sarma to retaliate against you?
I have ruffled the feathers of many people before, including chief ministers and powerful politicians. So this is not new to me. To understand the allegations against me, you must understand the timeline.
On January 29, I asked Sarma [in a tweet] how much money Pride East Entertainment Pvt Ltd [owned by the Sarma family], and NGOs like Sneha Bandhan and Udayachal have taken so far from the government and business houses since their inception. My tweet was addressed to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the Prime Minister’s Office, Union home minister Amit Shah, BJP president J.P. Nadda, Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) chief Mohan Bhagwat and Sarma.
Will you reply Mr. Chief Minister of Assam?@narendramodi@PMOIndia@AmitShah@AmitShahOffice@JPNadda@JPNaddaoffice@MohanBhagwat@himantabiswa pic.twitter.com/5nyeCEODyt
— Ajit Kumar Bhuyan (@AjitKrBhuyan) January 29, 2023
I asked him [Sarma] for the balance sheets of the three organisations and the details of the funds raised by these three organisations for the Lucky Ali and A.R. Rahman concert shows and the funding of the Bhogali Mela (an Assamese harvest festival fair) allegedly organised by Sarma’s wife, including how much of these funds were taken from the government. It was a question about accountability and public money.
I told Sarma that he can fool some of the people all of the time, and all of the people some of the time, but he cannot fool all of the people all of the time. I said that his hatred for Muslims is driven by his desire for sheer power. I exposed his hypocrisy when, during his tenure in the Congress as a powerful minister and a leader, he said these words: ‘In Modi’s Gujarat, Muslim blood flows through the water pipes’. But now to appease his RSS masters, he is flaunting himself as a crusader against ‘Muslim aggressions’.
In 2014 @himantabiswa once attacked @narendramodi by saying 'Muslim's blood flows in water pipe of Gujarat (refering to 2002 Gujarat Riots). We don’t ask votes on the lines of Hindu-Muslim' https://t.co/D7vt6oBHMF pic.twitter.com/KmSq1ghz6s
— Mohammed Zubair (@zoo_bear) February 3, 2022
Advertisement
He changes his tune when he thinks it is the right time for him. Two of his senior news network editors are Muslims. He uses a Muslim government official to get access to Muslim black magic practitioners and for other illegal activities. If he hates Muslims so much, then why has no action been taken against them?
I questioned him on the financial irregularities and discrepancies surrounding the A.R. Rahman concert in Guwahati. I am still waiting for his answers. I expected some kind of retaliation against me. As he couldn’t do anything else, he is desperately trying to malign my image by accusing me of misappropriating MPLAD funds. This shows that he is rattled and has no other ways to bring me down.
The allegations against you are quite serious and the local people in those three locations in South Kamrup are not happy. The alleged financial misappropriation is Rs 48 lakh. How are you fighting this allegation, especially when your reputation as an MP and a journalist is at stake?
I am a tenacious person. This is not the first time that I am fighting allegations. As a journalist and human rights activist I was jailed multiple times in the past on charges levelled against me by the Congress and AGP. I have been tortured and subjected to harassment and threats. But I kept fighting and I will fight again now.
First, I am not involved in the MPLADS fund. There are checks and balances in the MPLADS process. A committee of senior government officials looks into the details whenever funds need to be released for work. The committee then moves ahead with the required allocation of resources. There are strict guidelines when it comes to MPLADS. It is not that easy to release funds.
There are many stages in the proper implementation of funds. As an MP, I don’t have to see the work. The committee supervises the work and its progress. If there are anomalies, the committee conducts inquiries. The allegation against me is just a sign of political enmity and personal vendetta. The timing of this allegation is questionable.
Suddenly, the chief minister’s vigilance cell and the state government have awakened after all this time! The cell is being used by Sarma as a personal tool. In the preliminary inquiry, the cell went around the locations with cameras and some selected, biased journalists, and everything was narrated as if I was personally involved and gained monetarily. Sarma used his personal resources to spin the narrative against me. The objective is to malign me as I have raised questions on social media.
Also read: Why Did the Assam CM Appoint an Enquiry Officer to Look Into a Bribery Case Already Under CBI?
After the allegation against you gained traction on news channels and on social media, you challenged Sarma to publicly open ‘files’ against you on his family-owned news channel and stream the entire proceedings live without edits or redaction. Has Sarma responded yet?
I am still waiting for his response. If he does respond, I am ready with my own set of evidence against him and I will be present with my own stack of documents and files against him. The truth will unfold in front of the eyes of the public. I tweeted about the open challenge on February 10.
Are you worried that the police may get involved?
The police need solid grounds. And there are none. Sarma found no other way to retaliate but this.
What about the people who trust you? Do you feel they may look at you differently now?
The public cannot be kept in the dark for long. Truth always has its way. For how long can the BJP and Sarma use fear tactics? Intimidation and threats cannot keep the public silent. There is some amount of fear, but the public is realising that they are suffering because of the BJP’s shortcomings in terms of proper governance. I trust the public. The public knows me and my past struggles against previous regimes.
The general elections will take place next year. Looking at the present political climate, what course do you think Indian politics will take?
As a politician, I feel Indian democracy is in danger. One doesn’t have to be a psephologist to analyse the present political dynamics. People in India are in immediate danger of losing their democratic rights. The BJP is stifling the voice of the people. Institutions have been compromised and those who dissent are kept in jails. Journalists who criticise the regime are either jailed or threatened or have their offices raided. We are living in an undeclared emergency. The 2024 general elections will be about saving Indian democracy. If we fail to defeat the BJP, we will end up in complete darkness. But finally, the hope of saving Indian democracy depends on the Indian public. This is the right time to open our eyes and be aware of the hard facts of what is happening. The hope to save Indian democracy remains with the people.
Also read: As Corruption Probe in Assam Slows, Questions Are Raised About Official Intentions
But the opposition is weak and there is no unity among the opposition parties; their egos are clashing. So, how do you think Indian democracy will be saved?
Yes, there is an immediate need for the opposition parties to unite. But only the Congress party can take the lead in forming a strong front against the BJP and Modi. The Bharat Jodo Yatra is a success. Rahul Gandhi has proved his worth. While there are other strong leaders like Mamata Banerjee, Arvind Kejriwal, K. Chandrashekar Rao and so on, only the Congress party has a pan India presence, and the people know it. Only the Congress party can take the lead in forming a tight alliance as an opposing front. The other parties should understand that if we don’t unite, there will be darker days ahead for all of us. This is a direct battle between the Congress and the BJP.
How do you view the political scenario in Assam?
I feel there is a threat of losing our unique Assamese identity. The RSS has spread its tentacles into deep, remote areas. They are using the fear of Muslim aggression to stir up the Assamese people. This is clear from the way the RSS and the BJP are trying to colour Lachit Barphukan’s glorious legacy in Hindutva hues [Commander Lachit Barphukan defeated a Mughal army at the Battle of Saraighat in 1671]. It is shameful that Sarma and his masters tried to eradicate Bagh Hazarika’s legacy from history just because he was Muslim. Hazarika fought alongside Lachit against the Mughals. The BJP are now doing the same thing to Sankaradeva who was a secular Vaishnavite saint and social reformer. As an Assamese, I am proud of my heritage and culture. We are fast losing our own resources and culture.
What is the role played by the Assamese media?
It is the same as what is happening to pan-Indian media. The Assamese media, whether print or electronic, is facing tough challenges. The journalists and the media company owners are fearful. Past regimes used to intimidate journalists, but now even the owners are facing the heat. The present regime is operating in an intimidating and coercive style.
